Toronto Police have confirmed that three of its officers have been charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault of a prostitute in Barcelona over the weekend. The trio were off duty at the time of the alleged incident and have been or will be suspended pending the outcome of those charges.
What the Trio Are Accused Of
Europa Press reported on Saturday night that the trio were arrested for the alleged sex assault of a female prostitute in a taxi in the Ciutat Vella neighbourhood of Barcelona. The Spanish news agency said one of the Canadians is accused of sexually assaulting the woman, another of hitting her in the face while she resisted, and the third of being the co-pilot of the vehicle.
Europa Press said the woman, who reported the alleged sexual assault and injury, required medical assistance. Two of the three men were arrested in Barcelona by the Mossos d'Esquadra, the autonomous police force in Catalonia, Spain, while the third, who allegedly beat the woman, fled and was arrested on Friday in Palma de Mallorca.
Of those detained in Barcelona, one is accused of sexual assault without penetration, and is detained after going to court on Friday, while the other is free, but accused of resisting at the time of the arrest.
Toronto Police Call the Allegations 'Serious'
“We can confirm reports that three Canadian off-duty police officers charged in Barcelona are employed by the Toronto Police Service,” Stephanie Sayer told the Toronto Sun on Monday. “The officers were on vacation and were not travelling in any official capacity.”
“The allegations are serious,” said Sayer, who wouldn’t specify the charges. “On arrival in Canada, one officer was suspended from duty as authorized by the Chief of Police in accordance with the Community Safety and Policing Act (CSPA). The two other officers will also be suspended upon their return to Canada in the coming days. As the individual members’ matters are now each before the courts, the Service is unable to offer further comment at this time,” Sayer said.
The Toronto Police Service has already had a bad year with at least one investigation underway. In February, Project South, an organized crime and corruption investigation led by York Regional Police, saw ten current and former Toronto Police officers charged. And just last week, the Toronto Police Service Board called for an “independent inspection” into claims of antisemitism in the force outlined by former inspector Hank Idsinga’s memoir.
